Fates Live Twice
by Wernher von Braun
Summary: A shinobi performed the final and ultimate sacrifice for the sake of his lord. But it was not the end of his life. Far away from the Land of the Rising Sun, a young princess found herself in a precarious situation, where one wrong move could spell disaster to everything that she knew and loved. A way existed to prevent that from happening but was she willing to pay the price?
1. Wolf Unchained

**Wolf Unchained **

In the outskirt of Windmire, a squad of Nohrian soldiers was patrolling around the capital. A post in the city was both a curse and a blessing. While it came with the most stomach-fulfilling ration and outpost that greeted the guards with constant warm, they also more often than not deal with the internal politics of the Nohrian court which can be…very deadly, for the lack of better word.

"Captain, can we just go back to the post now?" One soldier complained to his superior. "I mean, I am pretty sure that we don't need to do it five times."

"Shut up! We received paid leave as a reward for what happened a week ago. We need to catch up with the workout that we neglected during the leave." The captain immediately retorted.

"That's the captain for you." Another soldier commented.

"Maybe that's why she hasn't found someone." A dark mage stated before laughing, who was soon joined by others.

"Shut your god…" Whatever the captain wanted to say was cut short when her hand immediately went to her sword. Seeing that, the soldiers and the mage became stiff, thinking that she wanted to lash out.

"Err, okay, captain. We might have gone over…" The dark mage tried to apologize but was immediately silenced by the captain with a finger over her mouth.

The captain drew her sword and walked away, deviating from the patrol route. Confused, the rest of the squad decided to follow their superior. It didn't take them long to find out where their captain led them to; a cave with an entrance big enough for even the heaviest armored Nohrian soldier and still leave enough room to wield a weapon.

"I don't remember a cave existing here." The dark mage stated.

"Neither do I." The captain said in return. "Louise, Cormack, watch our rear! The rest of you, follow me!"

The two soldiers with spear and shield nodded their heads and did as ordered. The remaining patrol followed the captain as they went in to inspect the cave. For some reason, no torch was needed as while it was darker compared to the outside, the inside of the cave was as bright as the sky of Nohr during a bad cloudy day.

The soldiers walked cautiously as they went further in. Who knows what would await them inside the cave? The place could be used by a Faceless to hide. With only one way in and out, the monster could simply charge at them to escape from its lair, not something that the Nohrians wanted to happen.

After what felt like two minutes had passed, the soldiers finally encounter someone. It was not the Faceless, causing them to let out their breathe in relief. Instead, they encountered someone sitting on the floor with an attire completely unlike the ones used by even the poorest Nohrian. From the sword on his back and the clothes on his body, there was only one place where he could come from.

Hoshido, the sworn enemy of Nohr.

"Drop all of your weapons and show us your hands, Hoshidan!" The captain demanded. When it was ignored, the captain stated her demand once more. "I said, drop your weapons and show your hands!"

Still not receiving any response, she patted the shoulder of her subordinate with a spear and gained his attention before pointing at the Hoshidan. The man stepped forwards a little by little until his spear could reach the stranger. The soldier slowly poked him and saw the man fall sideways due to said poke.

Gaining some confidence, the spearman walked towards the man and checked him. Not seeing any wound, he checked the pulse and nodded at his captain.

"He's alive." The soldier stated.

"Get something to bind him." The captain ordered as she went towards the Hoshidan.

One of them gave the captain a rope, which was immediately used to bind the unconscious man's limbs through a distance was given for the feet. That way, if he woke up on the way to the prison, he could walk on his own.

The squad departed from the cave and headed back towards Windmire. On their way back, the captain couldn't help but wonder how a cave somehow suddenly appeared out of thin air and why this Hoshidan was found unconscious inside. She might need to do some investigation.

But first thing first, getting this man into his cell.

* * *

Inside a prison cell, Kaze and Rinkah did nothing but sitting on the floor. Sometimes, they looked around, thinking of the possibility of escaping. They didn't have much hope of succeeding though. Still, it was better than just sitting around, completely doing nothing else.

Both of their attention went towards the door when the guards suddenly open it. It didn't take them even a second to find out why the door was opened.

"Hey, guess what? We found one of yours." The Nohrian guard said as he dropped a ninja into the floor.

As the door was locked, Kaze went towards the man and inspected him. One thing that stood out the most was the fact that the ninja was wearing an orange _haori_, which was rather unusual. Not that he never wore one himself but that was not something ninja wear during a mission.

Another thing that he noticed was how some of the ninja's hair has gone white, indicating advanced age. Probably around the late 40s to early 50s. It made Kaze somewhat impressed that they could capture a ninja as experienced as the man but then again, everyone has time when they slip up.

Then there was another thing else, which was noticed by Rinkah.

"Hey, don't you think this man's left hand is rather strange?" Said the Fire Tribe woman as she inspected said hand.

Kaze looked at the hand and figured out what Rinkah meant. The left hand of the ninja was a prosthetic. He inspected it closer, noticing the number of cuts and how it was stained thick with blood and oil. Despite that, it was impeccably maintained.

"He must have the right connection or very skilled to be able to have a prosthetic this…intricate." The green-haired ninja commented. "A loss of limb tends to be a career-ending injury."

"If you're that curious, then why don't ask him?" Rinkah stated as she looked at the man's face. "He's about to wake up."

True to her words, the man gave a sign that he was about to wake up. He let out a grunting voice from his mouth. It was followed by several coughs before his eyes opened up. The ninja took a look on the cell before focusing his sight on both Kaze and Rinkah. The former offered his hand to him, which was accepted.

"Are you alright? Can you tell me what happened?" The younger ninja asked as he helped him sat up.

The man coughed up a few more times before setting his eyes on Kaze. The latter recognized the look immediately; one that was filled with cautious and suspicious. He had heard it from Saizo on how old ninjas tend to be wary of their surroundings due to experience. In fact, the safer a place is the more likely they're to be suspicious.

"It's alright. You're among friends." Kaze said before letting out a small laugh. "Well, not really since we're inside a Nohrian cell."

"Nohrian…?" The man said in return.

"Yes, that's where we are." He looked at the man warily. "You…know that, right?"

"I think whatever or whoever caused him to get captured by those Nohrians caused some problem in his head," Rinkah suggested.

"That's a possibility," Kaze replied as he thought on how to gain the ninja's trust.

* * *

It has been two days since the newest occupant of the cell arrived. So far, the only thing that Kaze and Rinkah managed to get from him was the word "Sekiro" when they asked him on how they should refer him. Either that was his name or a title as in Hoshidan, "Sekiro" could mean "One-Armed Wolf." A fitting title, if the younger ninja had to be honest.

In any case, Sekiro kept any information regarding him close to his chest and was unwilling to share. He had been asked about which clan he belonged to, what was his mission before being captured, how he managed to gain his prosthetic, and many more. Yet he always kept his mouth silent except in some rare cases, like when Rinkah talked about the Flame Tribe.

Suddenly, the door of the cell was opened and a Nohrian guard walked in.

"Alright, you Hoshidans. You have received the honor of being able to meet with His Highness King Garon himself. You are expected to be in your best behavior." The guard announced.

"Oh, we will be in our _best _behavior. No doubt about that." Rinkah replied with a thinly-veiled sarcasm.

The three of them were escorted out of the cell. Along the way, they met up with four more Hoshidan prisoners. Many were wondering why they would come face-to-face with the King of Nohr himself. They then encountered a surprise; the guards were giving them back their weapons.

"What's the meaning of this?" Kaze asked as he picked up his shuriken.

"You'll find out soon, Hoshidan." The guard replied with a cruel smile.

* * *

"So, this will be fine, right?" Elise asked her siblings. "Corrin will not get killed, right?"

"Of course not, little sister," Leo replied. "Do you have that little trust in our sister? And to Xander who has been training her for years?"

"No, that's not what I mean!" Elise shook her hands. "It's just…"

"Now, now, calm down, you two," Camilla said as she laughed a little. "Leo, it's not good to tease your sister, you know?"

Leo merely turned his head around but it was undeniable that there was a hint of a smile on his face. The three of them decided to put their conversation away and focused on their sister that was currently the center of the attention, Corrin.

"But seriously, how dangerous this test could be?" Elise asked again.

"Not that dangerous, Elise," Xander answered. "After being released, prisoners are – more often than not – not in their optimal condition. Plus, Father will not bring a prisoner that the guards can't neutralize."

"When you said it like that, yeah, I agree with you, Xander." She said in return with him smiling a little.

When the trial began, the Hoshidan prisoners immediately charged towards Corrin who was accompanied by Gunther and Jacob. True to Xander's words, the prisoners were not in their optimal condition; one was having trouble holding his weapon, one was swinging his iron bat around like a drunkard, and many more. There were two that showed competency above the rest, who were a green-haired ninja and a dark-skinned oni savage. Then there was one who remained in his position.

"Huh, why does that man do nothing?" Elise asked when she noticed the man.

"Hmm?" Xander and the other two siblings focused their attention at him. The man already had his katana unsheathed yet he stood still and watched as his fellow countrymen fought Corrin and her…temporary retainers, for the lack of better term.

"That's strange." Leo put his hand on his chin. "Hoshidans are well-known to prefer death before dishonor. In fact, they have a ritualistic… Wait a minute."

"Do you notice something, Leo?" Camilla asked.

"The Hoshidan that Corrin fights…he's using a katana, right?"

"From what I can see from here, most likely," Xander answered before realization came upon him. "Wait, are you trying to say…"

"The man is observing Corrin so that he knows her movement when fighting against an opponent with a katana, which is the weapon that he uses." The second prince stated.

As if on cue, Corrin defeated her opponent the moment her brother finished his words. It was during that moment that the Hoshidan dashed towards her.

The Hoshidan's movements relied on speed, agility, and skill. It was evident by how he fought. He aimed at the openings that Corrin made, relentlessly attacking to prevent her from counterattacking, and if she managed to do so, he simply evaded the attack.

"This is…not good." Leo stated, trying to find a word that wouldn't cause a panic. "Corrin's sparring partners to this point are Gunther and Xander with Camilla and me one time or two each year. She never faced someone who is speed-based."

"Furthermore, since she's not as strong as me or Gunther in term of physical strength, she based her movements of speed and agility. And now she's fighting someone that is more skilled than her in that department." Xander added.

It seemed that Corrin realized that. She no longer tried to attack the man and instead focused on defending herself. As both of them fought, Gunther and Jacob slowly but steadily defeated their opponents. If nothing goes wrong, then when they were done, both of them will assist the princess in defeating the Hoshidan.

But of course, something went wrong.

"Aah!"

Jacob, who was fighting a green-haired Hoshidan ninja, received a scratch on his cheek. It was only a flesh wound and his voice was barely audible. But it was enough for Corrin to heard it. She looked at her butler in worry, which caused her to be distracted. And because she was distracted, her movement became sloppy. That created an opening for the Hoshidan.

The entire room went silent. Many of those who observed the trial looked in shock at what had just happened. But none of their shocks was comparable to Corrin, who suddenly found herself missing an arm. A left arm that the Hoshidan had just dismembered.

Almost immediately, Corrin held her new sword, the Ganglari, harder and stabbed the Hoshidan at the chest with it. She pulled the sword back and the man took several steps backward before falling to the floor.

"Lady Corrin!"

Both Jacob and Gunter threw their current combat and immediately went towards their liege. The remaining Hoshidans gave a chase but they managed to reach her first. Gunter acted as the shield of the two of them while Jacob healed Corrin, who was now sitting on the floor. She didn't show any pain due to the adrenaline. It wouldn't last long though.

Seeing what happened to their sister, both Camilla and Leo almost went towards the trial ground when their father, King Garon of Nohr, prevented them from doing just that.

"No, the trial is still ongoing. Until I say otherwise, Corrin will receive no help from the outside." He told them.

"But Father, look at her!" Camilla exclaimed, barely holding her anger. "Corrin has just…she just…"

"Something that can happen out there as well. At least this way, she will know _exactly _the taste of battle."

"Camilla." Xander put his hand on her shoulder. "Do as he says."

"But…" She was about to convince her brother when the princess looked at his hardened face. She decided to reluctantly follow the order. "Fine."

"Elise, I think you better call the castle's healers," Leo said as he calmed down his little sister. "We're going to need the best of the best."

"O-O-Of course," Elise replied as she tried to control her breath before going to get the healers.

During all of that, Corrin, Gunther, and Jacob managed to defeat the remaining Hoshidans. The princess, covered in sweat due to shock and fatigue, leaned on her butler. With that, the trial was over.

* * *

At the outskirt of Windmire, a trio of soldiers was escorting a cart full of corpses. They were corpses of the prisoners that died due to various reasons like disease or execution. The former tended to be more common, especially among the Hoshidan prisoners, due to the low quality of food served for the prisoners. Then again, it wasn't like the common people eat much better food.

"Hey, is it just me, or the number of the corpses that we have is lower than it supposed to be?" A soldier asked.

"Doesn't matter. We do this job then return back to Windmire." One of his friends replied.

"OK. Fine by me." The soldier looked at the cart and noticed something. "Huh, some of them have weapons."

"Probably those who participated in a combat trial. If I am not wrong, there was one for a princess. Don't remember who. Hoshidan weapons are crap anyway, so it doesn't make a difference."

"But what if…"

"Already checked. All of them dead. A stab in the chest has been given for extra guarantee."

After that line was delivered, silence fell upon the group. The leading soldier found it rather strange as he knew one of his friends couldn't stand a quiet situation this long and would often make an attempt to start a conversation. Feeling suspicious, he decided to turn his head around…

…and found his throat met the sharp end of a katana.

As the soldier fell to the ground, the shinobi inspected his surroundings. The other two soldiers were lying on the ground as well, suffering a similar wound. While the cart driver was still in his place, a stab in the back of the head ensured that no alert was given.

He looked at the desolated place of his current location. He turned his head towards the light that came from the capital city. He then turned his head to see the less bright light on the horizon. He sheathed his katana and went towards the light, leaving the corpses of the Hoshidans that were never his countrymen and the four soldiers.

* * *

**And the prologue is done. **

**If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me!**

**Review, please! **


	2. Wolf Among Hounds

**Wolf Among Hounds**

In his guard post, a Nohrian soldier lazily did his duty of watching the town where he was posted. While he did look around to make sure that there was no intruder or troublemaker, the peacefulness of this town meant that such an action was close to unnecessary. His three years in here had taught him that all he needed to do was to look tough and…

Suddenly, someone clasped his mouth, making him unable to speak. Then, he was forced to sit before having a katana embedded in his neck. The sword was then pulled, the wound it created to let out a stream of blood. The soldier fell to the ground, killed without offering any resistance.

As he cleaned the blood on his katana, Wolf kept his eyes peeled. After that, he took the pouch containing the soldier's money before disappearing into the shadow. He waited for several minutes, figuring out whether there would be someone who checked the post. When no one came, Wolf escaped from the scene.

As he went from one roof to another, questions were floating in his mind. From a mundane one, like what kind of food these people used as a staple food, to an interesting one, like how he ended up in a Nanban country. But most importantly…

Wolf stopped moving when he noticed an archer on the next roof. She was currently facing the other way and thus didn't see the shinobi approaching. When he went to the roof with the grappling hook, the archer chose that moment to turn around. Wolf immediately shot two shurikens from his prosthetic. Shocked by the sudden attack, the shinobi dashed towards her and planted his katana into her throat.

The most important question was how he managed to revive himself after he was killed in that place. He remembered sacrificing himself to free Lord Kuro from his immortality. As life faded from his body, he could feel the connection that prevented him from leaving the mortal world severed. So, why he was still alive?

In the end, he had condemned Lord Kuro to mortality. As such, he had done his duty. All he needed to figure out now was the action that he would take.

It was easier said than done.

* * *

Jacob was not the type to complain when it came to his liege. It would be very ungrateful considering what she had done for him, especially during his first days as her butler. But if he had to be honest, no filter at all, he would admit that his job had become more difficult after _that _incident.

Admittedly, one of the reasons was because he did things that many thought would be unnecessary. Even Lady Corrin herself told him that he didn't need to do any of them. Still, his heart was unable to calm if he did what she told him to do.

Lady Corrin herself might not notice it but Jacob could see that her steps had become like someone with a limp. Most likely because her body was no longer balanced, what with the lack of a left arm. The loss also caused the problem to her when she was writing since she had a habit of holding the paper or book that she wrote on with her free hand.

And let's not get started with eating. Many Nohrian cuisines required both hands to eat since the main utensils are fork and knife. Lady Corrin also liked to drink her tea using both hands. It wasn't that much of a problem but Jacob had seen that incapability of doing so made it awkward for her.

To be honest, all of those problems can be solved by a simple prosthetic. However, it would take time until one could be made. And since it must be combat-worthy, the time needed to make one increased. Plus, there would be times when she could use it, like when it needed maintenance. Thus, it would be important that Lady Corrin was capable of functioning properly without her left arm or a prosthetic.

At the moment, Corrin was enjoying a bowl of stew with a cup of tea for the drink. She seemed to be still adjusting the lack of left arm, judging from how uncomfortable she looked like. Standing behind her, Jacob noticed that the cup was a little bit too close to the edge of the table for comfort. He went forward and moved it away from the edge when the princess suddenly hissed.

"Don't do that!" She immediately said.

"I am sorry, Lady Corrin," Jacob replied as fast as he can. "I believe that the cup is…"

"Even so, don't move it when I am touching it!"

"Eh? B-But you didn't do that, milady."

"Of course, I…"

Slowly, a realization emerged from her face. Corrin looked at the left part of her dress, where the arm part was tied up. She let out a sigh as she put the spoon into the bowl. The princess then used her only hand to pick up the cup. As she drank her tea, Jacob could feel sweat emerging from his forehead.

"Phantom pain, milady?" The butler asked.

"Most likely." She answered. It was clear that her mood had dropped compared to earlier.

The phantom pain was, for the lack of a better word, an interesting phenomenon. To still be able to feel a sensation from the no-longer-existing limb. Gunther had demonstrated it by making Corrin "grabbed" a cup with her "left arm." When he suddenly moved it from its position, she felt pain. As if her left arm still exist and the old knight had just yanked the cup from her hand.

He also explained that if Corrin was determined enough, it would only take her several weeks for the phantom pain to disappear.

"So, um…" Corrin put down her cup and wanted to ask about something. "How long does it take for the…prosthetic to be completed?"

"I am not sure about the exact time, milady," Jacob answered. "But fear not, you will have it before this month end."

"I hope so…" She simply said as she watched the snow from her room.

* * *

In one of the cities of Nohr, a group of soldiers was running around the alley. They were currently looking for a group of thieves that have been spotted escaping through it. They have been causing ruckus throughout the city but they finally slipped up; this was an opportunity to put an end of their crime spree.

"Damn it! Where are they?" The foremost soldier, most likely the leader, stated.

"Do we lose them, sir?" One of his subordinates asked.

"Damn it!" He turned towards his men. "All of you, split up and keep your eyes peeled! The moment you see just a hair of those thieves, immediately yell! Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

The group split up into smaller groups. The leader was accompanied by only two soldiers now. He looked at the paths taken by the rest of his men before taking the one that they didn't take. They made sure no stone remained unturned; every time they see a trash can, they would inspect it. Every time they see a crate, they would look at the inside. Every time they meet a homeless or two, they would interrogate them.

"Those are as slippery as the ninjas of Hoshido." One of the soldiers commented.

"I heard the leader is a Hoshidan. So, that could explain it." The other soldier said.

"Shut your mouth, you two! Keep your eyes peeled!" The leader stated.

"Yes, sir!"

Unbeknown to them, Wolf was above them, eavesdropping the conversation that they had. Hoshido, if his memory was right, was the region where the ninja and the woman that he shared a cell with came from. From the information that he gathered, Hoshido shared the same culture like Japan.

Could it be a colony created by the Shogunate that bordered a Nanban nation of Nohr? Though he also once heard of the Shogunate and the Nanban having a clash with each other with the exception of a certain group of Nanban; the…Dutch if he wasn't wrong.

Nevertheless, Hoshido was his best chance of figuring out all of this mess. He could blend in much easier there compared to in Nohr. With that in mind, Wolf hoped from one roof to another, waiting for the soldiers to find the thieves.

It didn't take them more than five minutes.

"Hey, I get one of them!"

Upon hearing that, Wolf immediately went to the source of the voice. Once he was above them, he looked below and identified the Nohrian soldiers. There were four of them; three were securing the thief while one of them was about to get the rest. That must not happen.

The shinobi jumped towards the soldier acting as the messenger and performed a deathblow. This alerted the other three. He dashed towards them while throwing two shurikens at them. While they caused no damage, it was enough distraction for Wolf to kill another soldier without interference. One of the last two soldiers, armed with a spear, charged towards him. The shinobi simply Mikiri Countered him and planted his katana on his neck. The last one tried to escape, no longer caring about the thief. He was killed by the shuriken that Wolf threw.

The thief, upon noticing that his captors were dead, looked at the man who rescued him. The shinobi offered him a hand. He accepted it and Wolf helped him stood up. The thief inspected him warily before scratching his head.

"Erm…thank you so mu-AAAAH!"

His shirt was suddenly being pulled by his helper, making both men very close to each other.

"Take me to your leader."

* * *

Near the border of Nohr and Hoshido, Kaze and Rinkah were on their way back to their home. So far, they managed to pass through Nohr undetected after being allowed to escape from Windmire. Despite aching to return back home, they were not in a hurry as doing so might cause them to get caught. Again.

"Heh. All of our strength and we only escape because of the pity of a Nohrian princess." Rinkah commented before sighing. "How am I going to face father about this?"

"I am not sure he's going to mind," Kaze said though he himself was unsure.

"So, is she really the lost Princess Kamui?" The Oni decided to change the topic.

"Quite likely." The ninja replied as he put his hand on his chin. "She has the same hair and eye color. She was more chubby back when she was still in Hoshido but she was a child back then and years have passed."

"Well, at least we have a confirmation that she's still alive," Rinkah said before making a smile. "I must say, she's a tough one; still spent time talking to us when she should be seeking help."

"That she…"

"Hold right there!"

Both of them immediately stop and looked around. They could hear the voice giving the order but couldn't see the one who gave it. They then heard her giving another order.

"Passcode?"

Kaze and Rinkah knew the answer to that question. The latter couldn't help but smile a little upon knowing what they were about to say.

"The entire royal family wear a frog suit and happily hop around Shirasagi."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a woman and three other ninjas revealed themselves to the duo. She approached them with her head shaking.

"I still think that the passcode is stupid." The woman stated.

"But nobody will expect it," Rinkah said in return. "Plus, it came from Queen Mikoto herself."

"Can't disagree with that." She replied before smiling. "It's good to see both of you back."

"Indeed, Kagero. You're a sight for sore eyes." Kaze replied.

As they went back to Hoshido, they continued their conversation with each other.

* * *

"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!"

The people in the room couldn't help but flinch when their boss flipped the table. His action made sense though; he had just received news that some of his men were captured because they were careless in their latest act.

"Well, in any case…" Their boss finally calmed down. "…pack everything up. We need to relocate."

"Sir, what about those who are captured?" One of them asked.

"There's nothing that we can do. The prison is too well-guarded and we don't have the muscle to…"

Suddenly, he stopped speaking and turned his head. He set his eyes on one of the entrances of their hideout. When the "wall" that blocked the entrance was opened, the boss could see one of his men emerged from it.

"Joey? You managed to escape?" The boss asked, feeling cautious.

"Not without help, boss." The man, Joey, replied. "Speaking of which, he wants to speak with you. Fellow Hoshidan."

As he gave the sign for them to come in, the boss couldn't help but shook his head. He was not a Hoshidan though he couldn't blame his subordinates to think that. His old homeland and Hoshido shared quite a lot of culture. When the Hoshidan finally entered the room, he put his hand on his weapon.

The "Hoshidan" that entered the room was none other than Wolf.

* * *

**Answers to some reviews: **

**human dragon: **1) Nope, there will be no romance. 2) Yes, there is. Just like in the game, die too many times in short order and he will die for good. 3) Yes, there will be dragonrot and for the prosthetic, so far, it's the normal one. I currently have no idea for a new one.

**Firesa: **Yes, this is post-Purification Ending and Sekiro has his Mortal Blade.

**Rook115: **Yep, Kuro is still out there, traveling.

**Guest: **I'll try to fix it. As for Wolf cutting Corrin's arm, he has no idea that he could still resurrect himself until he got killed by her. What he has in mind was to take her down with him and Corrin was only able to kill Wolf because the latter was weakened.

**Cayde: **Nope, he can't. He has been…purified, for the lack of a better word, from becoming a Shura.

**Shinobros: **Yes, I will.

* * *

**And another chapter is done. **

**If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me. **

**Review, please! **


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